Competency Exams Should Alarm Parents

December 15, 1998

Why hasn't the press sounded the alarm for parents and PTA/PTO groups regarding the coming FCAT competency exam for high school graduation? Two articles published recently have carried misleading headlines and/or been buried near the obituaries, out of sight. The article published Dec. 4 carries the headline, "Broward test scores improve." This minimum competency test, equal to a 10th grade level, is used for the HSCT. Passing this exam grants a high school diploma, yet 20 percent to 30 fail the exam. The end of the article mentions that the new FCAT exam will replace this HSCT minimum competency exam beginning in 2002. If up to 30 percent fail the current exam, what is likely to happen when the FCAT is implemented? Your earlier article indicated a failure rate as high as 71 percent is anticipated.

Where will the funds come from to build classes and hire staff to reteach these 70 percent non-graduates?

It is incredible that adults will line up at 4 a.m. to buy the latest toy for a child, but not spend an hour having the child read a newspaper or book aloud and verbalize what has been read, or give the child math problems to do so the parent can assess if the child is learning. The schools send home progress reports and report cards, yet many parents don't know when these are given out and many never see them.

Student progress reports being sent home from the schools should be announced in the newspaper so parents are awaiting them.